Prerequisite Courses/MCAT

You are currently viewing the 2016–17 PLFSOM school catalog.

Successful applicants for admission to the Paul L. Foster School of Medicine (PLFSOM) must have completed an undergraduate curriculum and must have been awarded a baccalaureate degree or its equivalent before matriculation. Ninety semester hours, including all prerequisite courses must have been completed at a U.S. or Canadian accredited college or university.

The Prerequisite Courses Are:

COURSES	HOURS
Biology	12 semester hours
Biology laboratories	2 semester hours
General chemistry with laboratories	8 semester hours
Organic chemistry with laboratories	8 semester hours
Biochemistry*	3 semester hours
Physics with laboratories	8 semester hours
Calculus or Statistics**	3 semester hours
English	6 semester hours

*Required with the application for entry year 2017 and beyond, may be used towards fulfilling part of the Biology or Chemistry requirement.

**Statistics is required for entry year 2017 and beyond; Calculus is no longer required for entry year 2017 and beyond.

Grades of C or better are required for all prerequisite courses or AP credit.

Successful applicants also should have pursued a broad educational experience, including topics outside of chemistry, biology, physics and mathematics. Although PLFSOM will have no prescribed course of study beyond the required courses identified above, the Admissions Committee will consider the breadth of the candidate’s educational experience in their determination of admission. Additional recommended courses include the following:

Humanities, Social Sciences, or Behavioral Sciences: 12 semester hours.

Additional coursework in Biochemistry*, Statistics and/or Calculus**, Genetics and Cellular/Molecular Biology is encouraged. Competence in spoken and written English is necessary. A facility in conversational Spanish will be an advantage for students intending to remain in the southwest.

(* and ** refer to the notes for the table directly above)

Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT)
The MCAT is also a requirement for admission. The applicant’s best score from the last five years will be considered. Information about the MCAT and registration for the exam can be accessed at http://aamc.org/students/mcat/.